Most perennials are usually cut back in late April/early May when the top growth has died down. It is also an ideal time to lift and divide your perennials where overcrowding has occurred.

Not all perennials die down in autumn; for instance with evergreen perennials, some pruning is required to remove old growth that has produced the previous season’s flowers. Doing this will enable the plant to produce healthy new shoots in spring that will carry the flowers for that season.

There are a wide selection of flowering perennials available in garden centres from April/May. Some varieties you can try are; Alstroemeria, Asters, Astilbe, Cannas, Iris, Nemesia, Pansies, Phlox, Polyanthus, Primulas and Snapdragons.

Start planting your winter prennials now. Prepare the soil first by adding plenty of fresh Daltons Compost along with Daltons Premium Flower Bed Mix, and thoroughly work it into the existing soil.

Most perennials prefer a sunny well drained site, however there are some that thrive in difficult shady or semi-shady spots in your garden, for example Hellebores or Hostas.